Philadelphia 76ers Secure Thrilling Win Over the Sacramento Kings
Thursday night had all the makings of a classic “trap game.” You had the Sacramento Kings limping into Philadelphia on a six-game losing streak, missing key guys like Malik Monk and Keegan Murray. On the other side, you had a 76ers squad feeling good after taking down the Bucks earlier in the week.
Naturally, the Sixers decided to sleepwalk through three and a half quarters, get absolutely crushed on the glass, and somehow still leave the Wells Fargo Center with a 113-111 victory.
If you’re a 76ers fan, you probably spent most of the night yelling at your TV about rebounding. But in the end, talent usually wins out, and Philadelphia has two of the best safety nets in the league in Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid.
Tyrese Maxey Is Simply Unguardable
We need to talk about Tyrese Maxey. The young star didn’t just play well; he completely took over when the team looked dead in the water. Maxey dropped a game-high 4o points, dished out 8 assists, and made Dennis Schroder’s life absolutely miserable all night long.
In the first half, it looked like Maxey was playing a different sport than everyone else. He was knifing into the lane for layups, putting defenders on ice skates, and drilling step-back threes like it was a shootaround. He finished the night shooting 12-of-18 from the floor.
When the game was on the line in the final seconds, it wasn’t a complicated play call. It was just Maxey sprinting coast-to-coast, beating everyone down the floor, and kissing a layup off the glass to seal the deal. It was a great performance from a guy who is quickly becoming the heartbeat of this team.
Embiid’s “Quiet” 37 Points
It’s hilarious that we’ve reached a point where Embiid scoring 37 points feels like a “casual” night at the office. The big fella started slow, but once he woke up, it was over for the Kings‘ interior defense.
Embiid did whatever he wanted in the mid-range, getting to his spots effortlessly. He finished with 37 points and 8 assists, proving once again that when he and Maxey are clicking, the 76ers’ offense is nearly impossible to stop. However, it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows. Embiid only grabbed a handful of rebounds, and his lack of presence on the glass was a glaring issue that almost cost Philadelphia the game.
The Rebounding Horror Show
If you want to know why this game was close, look no further than the rebounding numbers. The 76ers were absolutely bullied on the boards. In the third quarter alone, Sacramento racked up a 19-0 advantage in second-chance points. You read that right. The crowd let the team hear it, raining down boos as the Kings grabbed offensive board after offensive board. It was ugly. It was frustrating. And frankly, against a better team, it would have been a blowout loss.
Role players like Kelly Oubre Jr. were invisible on the glass, and rookie VJ Edgecombe, despite stuffing the stat sheet elsewhere, struggled to make an impact when the ball came off the rim.
A Chaotic Finish To a Weird Night
Despite the lethargic effort and the rebounding disaster, the 76ers found themselves with a chance to steal one late. With under 30 seconds left, Maxey tied the game with a tough layup. On the other end, DeMar DeRozan, who had been cooking Paul George in the mid-range all night, missed a pull-up jumper. Embiid finally snagged a crucial rebound, outlets to Maxey, and the rest is history.
Maxey flew down the court, hit the game-winner, and missed the subsequent free throw. George deserves a nod here, too. He wasn’t spectacular, but his 15 points and defense on DeRozan in the clutch were vital. He did his job when it mattered.
At the end of the day, a win is a win. The 76ers keep their momentum rolling, but they can’t expect to get away with this kind of effort on the glass against the heavy hitters of the East.
